Accused teacher admits acting 'irresponsibly'

An ex-sixth form teacher accused of sending 'inappropriate' emails to students has admitted acting irresponsibly.

David Brereton is appearing before a professional conduct hearing over his contact with two pupils at Stoke-on-Trent Sixth Form College, where he worked before being sacked in 2022.

The Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) claims his emails from 2021 and 2022 were of an "inappropriately familiar nature", covering topics such as drinking alcohol and going out at night. He also called one pupil on his personal mobile.

Brereton said he generally accepted the facts of the allegations, agreeing that he sent the emails in question and that this amounted to misconduct. The hearing continues.

He said his email contact with one student, Pupil A, was initially in relation to helping her with coursework and that he very much regretted the conversation moved beyond education matters.

Brereton said: "I'm happy to accept I had acted irresponsibly. The emails, I accept, were unprofessional.

"I let myself down. Having been teaching for 17 years I should have done better."

He added the last "real email conversation I had with Pupil A" was at the start of the February half-term.

"I let the college know that on the day we returned, the conversation I had with the student was that she wasn't to email me any more for any advice."

In relation to the allegation Brereton called Pupil A using his personal mobile, he claimed he had been busy teaching a particularly "challenging" group at the time and had forgotten to withhold his number.

He said he had a genuine reason to call her, which related to a college open evening.

When asked why he went on to suggest she store his phone number, Brereton stated he could not remember why he did this.

He accepted that he should not have shared his social media details with the student.

Brereton said he queried an allegation he gave the student a nickname – an abbreviated form of her surname – claiming this was normal behaviour in the sports department in which he worked.

He added: "Throughout my career at the sixth form college I never had any complaints from students or staff regarding the way I used to teach or how I was with students."

Brereton, who missed the first day of the virtual hearing on Wednesday, attended the second day and the panel decided it would be in everyone's best interest to re-start proceedings.

He was dismissed by the college in September 2022 following disciplinary proceedings.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.

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